Microsoft has relaunched its controversial “Recall” feature, which automatically captures screenshots of users’ activity and uses artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze and store the content in a searchable database.
The company first introduced Recall in 2024, but pulled it after criticism over privacy and security.
The company said on its Windows Experience Blog that the new version is more secure as it added encryption to the screenshot database and changed Recall to be opt-in, instead of opt-out. There is also a pause button, and the company says it improved filters to block things like credit card numbers and passwords.
“We’ve implemented extensive security considerations, such as Windows Hello sign-in, data encryption and isolation in Recall to help keep your data safe and secure,” the company said. “Recall data is processed locally on your device, meaning it is not sent to the cloud and is not shared with Microsoft and Microsoft will not share your data with third parties.”
Despite the security enhancements, experts still have concerns. They said Recall can capture messages, photos, or videos sent to someone using the feature, without the sender’s knowledge.
As Ars Technica explains, “even if User A never opts in to Recall, they have no control over the setting on the machines of Users B through Z. That means anything you send someone could end up in their Recall database.”
Recall only works on Copilot+ PCs. These are newer Windows 11 laptops and desktops with special AI chips like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Elite, Intel’s Core Ultra 200V, or AMD’s Ryzen AI 300 processors.
In addition to Recall, Microsoft is rolling out new AI-powered features for Copilot+ PCs. These include an enhanced search tool that understands natural language, and a feature called “Click to Do,” which lets users quickly copy and summarize on-screen text with a single click.
